Fire-extinguisher



E. M. E VLETH.

FIRE EXTINGUISHEH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. I917.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

Invsni'or Earl flEvlciib 1 Z Wu. m

EARL M. EVLETH, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

Application filed June 8, 1917. Serial No.' 173,486.

stream of water is secured by liberating com-.

pressed gas within the tank.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical central section ofmy fire extinguisher; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the screw cap; and Fig. 3is a top plan of the compressed-gas container used in my device.

Referring to the accompanying drawin s, I have used the numeral 5 toindicate t e cylindrical walls, 6 the concave bottom and 7 the conicaltop of an air-tight water tank. The top 7 is constructed with a centralopening in which the lower end of a nipple 8 is fitted and permanentlysecured to the tank. This may be accomplished by a ring of solder 9between the inner portion of said nipple and the top 7. The nipple 8 isprovided with external threads on its upper periphery and receives theinternally threaded cap 10. A washer 11 is seated between the end of thenipple and the cap to insurea tight joint. Said cap 10 carries adischarge conduit 12 which terminates ina threaded member 13 adapted toform a hose coupling. A discharge pipe 14, communieating with theconduit 12, is threaded into I the cap 10 and the lower end of said pipeextends nearly to the bottom of the tank when the cap 10 is screwed downon the nipple 8. A screen box 15 havin an opening therein encircled byan annu ar flange 16, is secured to the lower end of the pipe 14:bymeans of such flange. This screen serves as a strainer for the water asit passes into the dischargepipe 14. A bore 17extends axially throughthe cap 10 and at its upper end is surrounded by an annular extension ofthe cap to form a boss 18 which is internally threaded and serves.

as a packing 'box. The diameter of the opening in this boss is greaterthan that of the bore .proper. placed in this enlargement and a gland 20is screwed down against the packingto prevent leakage around the valvestem 21 Annular packing 19 is (hereinafter described), which turns inthe bore. The bore 17 extends through the nipple 22, formed on the cap10. This nipple is perforated to form a passage 23 leading I from thebore 17 to the interior of the water tank and the wall of saidboreconverges immediately below the passage 23 to form a beveled valve-seat24. The then-reduced bore extends through the lower end of the nipple.This end of said. nipple is externally tlteaded to receive the head 25of a metal compressed-gas container 26. Said container is a tube closedat one end and having its other end 27 crimped uponthe head 25. A washer28 is placed between such head and the inturned edge of the tube toprevent leakage of gas from the con tainer. Thelhead 25 has a centralaperture 29 surrounded by an upwardly extendin nozzle 30 threadedinternally to fit around the threaded lower end of the nipple 22. A softmetal washer 31 is inserted between the nipple 22 and the nozzle 30before said parts are screwed together to prevent leakage around thejoint thus formed. A thin metal disk 32 is placed within the nozzle 30and pushed down against the shoulder 33 surrounding the upper extremityof the aperture 29. A jam-washer 34, threaded and having a notch 35 cutdiametrically across one side to receive the end of a screw-driver, isscrewed down tightly against the metal disk 32 and an air-tight closurefor the container is thus formed. The hole in the jam-washer 34 and theaperture 29 in the head 25 are alined with "the bore 17 extendingthrough the cap 10 mafter described, to perforate said disk. At theother end of the stem 21 is fastened a wheel-handle 38 to turn saidvalve-stem.

To char e the device, the cap '10 is removed an the tank of theextinguisher is filled with water. The valve-stem 21 in said cap isbacked-up by revolving the handle 38 until the point 37 of the stem iswithdrawn into the bore 17. The container 26, having been previouslyfilled with compressed gas, such as carbon dioxid, and sealed with thedisk 32, is screwed onto the nipple 22 of the cap. Said cap is placedover the nipple 8 and tightly screwed thereon, the dischar e pipe 14:and container 26 entering said tan The extinguisheris then ready foruse.

To use the extinguisher, the valve-stem 21 is rotated and longitudinalmovement with respect to the cap is imparted thereto by means of thethreads 36 in the bore 17; Such movement forces the point 37 downwarduntil it perforates the disk 32 of the gas container. The compressed gaswithin the container then forces its way into the bore 17 and throughthe passage 23 into the tank. The water 1n the tank is thereby subjectedto great pressure and forced through the .pipe 14: to the hose or othermeans which may be attached to the coupling 13 to directthe jet ofwater. 1

While in most cases it is not feasible to use a gas container for morethan one operation of the extinguisher, yet, if the gas in the containeris still under substantial pressure when the flow of water is no,

longer necessary, the valve on the stem 21 may be forced against thevalve-seat 24 by revolving the handle 38 in the proper direc-- tion andgas in the container may then be maintained under pressure forsubsequent use.

It is my purpose to furnish a supply of containers 26 with each extinuisher and when one has been'used, another maybe readily substitutedtherefor.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent isz' In a device of the class described, thecombination with a water reservoir having an opening at its upper end,of a' cap adapted to tightly fit said opening, said cap being formedWitha discharge conduit and a bore, a pipe in the tank, one end thereofcommunicating with said conduit and the other extending to the bottom ofthe tank, said bore having a beveled Valveseat therein and a passagewayabove such EARL M. EVLETH-

